Dark Star Jubilee
5/24-26/2013
written by Elise Olmstead
photographs by Appalachian Jamwich
Memories we make on Memorial Day weekend are often filled with sunny days, vacations, and road trips. I remember as a kid from a small, historic town, taking a lot of trips to locations with war history, and watching parades that honor our U.S. War Veterans. Over the past couple of years as I attended music more and more, Memorial Day weekend became the perfect weekend of festivals and camping. Among so many festivals to choose from now, what was the perfect festival for this perfect weekend? We placed our vote on Dark Star Jubilee, and felt like winners after 3 great nights of great music, great friends, and memories that will last our family a lifetime.
We had been to Legend Valley before and enjoyed the venue and the staff. The Bandit Crew was again attending security, and we always love to see them and interact with them, as they are friendly while also firm to their position. Our friend Otis was volunteering, and his smiling face guided us into the venue. We were arriving fairly early, around 1:00 PM, and got right to setting up camp and wandering. We quickly ran into lots of friends as we killed time before the music. Amy and Jeremiah, the shining stars we featured in our Fan Spotlight in Issue Five, gave us exuberant hugs down by the main stage. Ryan Neeley, a contributing writer for Appalachian Jamwich, caught up with us for a while, too. We felt at home and with family and couldn’t wait for Greensky Bluegrass to begin.
They started to an eager crowd with “Dustbowl Overture” by Steppin’ In it, getting us in a certain kind of feel good mood that only bluegrass and sunshine can do to you. Anders Beck’s lap slide guitar brings a twang to your spine that makes you do a little jig, and the whole set is a cacophony of precise picking artfully strumming your heartstrings. Greensky Bluegrass can always make me feel a swell in my chest as they sing emotional harmonies in perfect key. Everyone is excited to get the weekend started. The dancing mood continues as The Ark Band from St. Lucia then gets on stage and performs their Caribbean reggae. Kids are smiling and people are swaying as the vacation-like glee spreads across the crowd.
We take a minute to visit some more friends and get a bite to eat before the first Dark Star Orchestra set starts for the evening. I’ve been so excited to sing along to some Grateful Dead tunes that somehow always uplift me to my happy place. We were jubilant at the jubilee and we began to dance and “share the wine” as soon as they started their first song, “Jack Straw.” The first set seemed to be made just for me and my excitement to sing the songs I know. They played some of my favorites like “Sugaree,” “Brown Eyed Women,” and “Ramble on Rose.”
The second set started with “Samson and Delilah,” followed by “Althea,” and continuing into a long jam and a drums and space session. “Is this drums and space?” I asked Josh, who was standing next to us at the campfire. “That depends if you’re in space,” he added. As the music progressed, I had to profess, I was definitely in space. The songs continued in a seamless segue and they announced at the end of the set that they had recreated Grateful Dead’s show from July 10th, 1981. The full moon was shining an eerie glow and our hearts felt as heavy and bright as the stars hanging in the sky.
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe puts a pep back in our step as David Veith pounds on his keyboards with passion and intensity. The keys fade out to a heart-thumping drumbeat accompanied by Karl’s saxophone, reminding me of the drums and space we had just experienced. I love when Denson breaks out his flute, it adds a jazzy whimsy that makes me drift away in ecstasy. The scratching of records adds an urban edge to the jazzy sound, and with crowd pleasing covers such as “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes and “Sure Shot” by Beastie Boys, everyone is buzzing about the set for the rest of the weekend.
Mickey Hart Band is the last band of the night. Mickey introduces his set with an explanation that he is “recreating the sound of the beginning of space and time,” intriguing us all and setting the scene. His rhythmic and harmonious percussion surrounds us with a depth reminiscent of the infinite universe. The world music beats and vocals mix with space-y rattling bass and mind-bending guitar, making us catch our breath in our throats as our stomach falls to our toes. The night ends with us all exhausted and exhilarated, as if we had been on a journey through the galaxies.
After a cold night cuddled under blankets, we sleep in the warm sun for a while before rising to get ready for the day. We are greeted by the pleasant sounds of My Sisters & Brothers playing down the hill, and as we greet smiling friends we all sing along to “Rubin and Cherise” by Jerry Garcia Band. The jacket weather and sunshine has us all drunk with the punchy potency of Saturday.
Matt Reynolds plays some soulful southern rock as the breeze blows his hair in the wind along with the colorful tie-dyed banners draped across the stage. BigEAR followed with their southern flavored jam band sensibilities similar to Allman Brothers; their music had a comfortable and familiar feel that soothed me, and made me feel like pulling up a chair and cracking open a can of beer. I stood diligently at the stage, however, as a motley crowd is gathering. Patchwork pants, tiny hats, and red and white stealie tattoos make for a tie-dye colored assembly.
Rumpke Mountain Boys surprise everyone by showing up early at the festival to play with David Gans. They play a plucky little “Shakedown Street,” then some David Gans originals that describe his history with the Grateful Dead family, including “what I learned from The Grateful Dead,” and “music festivals.” Rumpke’s picking and Gans’s delightful songwriting puts a smile on everyone’s face.
Elephant Revival is a band that I’d heard people enthusiastically whispering about all day. They were shrouded in a sort of mystery as people asked “Have you heard them? Where are they from?” Among the curiosity and gossip, the opinion of their music was always that it was worth a listen. We had to see for ourselves what all this talk was about. The band consisted of a guitarist, banjo player, upright bass player, violinist, and a percussionist with unique instruments such as a washboard and musical saw. Bonnie, the percussionist, stole the show with her crisp and gentle voice accompanied beautifully by the tapping of her washboard and the soft singing of the fiddle. It was as if she was singing a lullaby to the audience as the sound of rain beat on a tin roof. The band had more of an “indie” feel than “jam,” in contrast to some of the other bands on the lineup, but their stunning musicianship prevented anyone from trying to box them into a genre. “Rogue River” stops everyone in their tracks, and suddenly everyone in the venue has their eyes on Bonnie. The a capella harmonies accompanied only by thumping percussion has everyone stomping in the dirt and clapping their hands.
The legendary Donna Jean Godchaux gets on stage with The Donna Jean band, snapping everyone out of their former haze with her sparkling voice. We stay long enough for a little sing along to “New Speedway Boogie” then at Taco’s offer, go to browse the vendors for some comfy pants. Being busy throughout the week and out of town every weekend, we rarely go shopping and prefer festival vendors to the mall. It’s always feels better to buy from someone who can tell you where they found the item and how they made it, a glint of pride and a shred of heartbreak as they part with the creation.
Berkeley Hemp Jewelry is a menagerie of hemp items from jewelry to dog leashes, and our son, Alex, stops by their booth later that day to grab some “Tricky Stix” (devil sticks). Purple Moon is a gallery of colorful stickers, patches and other items; Essoya Candles makes me stop to smell the wonderful scents wafting from their tent. Lotus Screen & Dye is where I pause to look at the handmade clothes and search for some pants. Lo and behold a few pairs of yoga pants are hanging and one pair has the cutest hand sewn pocket. I gladly purchase them with the shopkeeper’s encouragement and they even take a picture of me wearing them to show the seamstress back at home.
We continue to browse as John Brown’s Body starts playing, soothing the crowd with their happy reggae tunes and prompting some to take a relaxing moment on the hill. Upon perusing Culture Cross and finding another pair of comfortable pants (tie-dyed harem), I speak to the owner Alex who explains that he used to be a teacher, but then decided to travel the world. He traveled to places such as Tibet and Hmong collecting items and repurposing them to sell here in America. Beautiful antique silver jewelry and sparkling gems decorate his exotic collection. Uncle John Outfitters, John Warner’s designs, are at the end of the row and a good place to stop by and say “hi” to our friend Kim before I go to change into my new pants and gear up for Yonder Mountain String Band.
I started listening to Yonder Mountain String Band around the same time that everyone else seemingly did, when their album Elevation rose in popularity. Songs from this album were absent from their set, but their usual feel-good hoe-down music had everyone rising from their seats and tapping their toes. Our friend Kenny that we recognize from Werkout, with his unmistakable Uncle Sam hat and jacket on, gives a group of kids a kaleidoscope and watched them giggle with joy. Team Fun is snaking through the crowd with their blue flag flying high and the party is in full swing. “We’re giving you that baby making music this weekend,” Daryl jokes. “It will not do the whole thing entirely but it will get your clothes off,” the bass player adds.
Marco Benevento follows with a playful set, the musicians trading a costume tiger head around while they play. Marco woos the ladies with his skills and they all shred the stage to bits.
The cold is getting to us again and we are having a hard time leaving Josh’s campfire, especially since we can hear the music well from its location. Sam Cutler introduces the set and compliments Mickey Hart Band’s performance from the night before. “Help on the Way” starts us off and they weave a delicate blanket over us as warm as the fire with their jams. Conversation drifts to stones of interests such as the extraterrestrial moldavite that I’ve heard people talking about all weekend, and then the conversation dissolves to jokes and laughter. Taco comments that “you can’t go wrong with this song,” when they play “Box of Rain,” and the chorus of the audience singing along supports his theory. The next song, “Scarlet Begonias,” is my favorite, however, and sends me into a tizzy of twirls. When they play “Unbroken Chain” we are puzzled as to what set they could be recreating, since the Dead never played that song until the year of their demise. We later learn that it was an original Dark Star Orchestra set. “Midnight Moonlight” is the encore that closes the night and sends us on our way to bed.
Sunday morning starts with some much needed showers and we’re glad to have some close by to use. Alex loves to revel in his grime and too often uses festivals as an excuse to be dirty, so I have to force him to wash himself. We are fresh and clean and ready for Cabinet to start our day, having missed African Show Boys but catching a little hint of “Redemption Song” as we mosey to the stage.
Cabinet is a favorite of ours and are also headliners at our festival, The Mad Tea Party Jam. We greet them as friends when they gather on the stage. Pappy starts us off with “You Don’t Know My Mind” by picking his banjo singing “Honey you don’t know my mind I’m lonesome all the time, born to lose a drifter that’s me.” One of my favorite things about the band is their ability to play more traditional bluegrass tunes and add their own twist, then take you right into a song that sweeps you off your feet with an unexpected sound. While they may play bluegrass instruments, Cabinet is rock ‘n’ roll all the way. When they drop into a sort of dub/reggae beat with the song “She’s Gone” my shoulders sway along with my friends and we are all smiles. Pappy picks up the fiddle for a moment, showing his chops on an instrument he doesn’t often play, then they play another fan favorite “Heavy Rain” before letting Jamie, the drummer, play a little solo. They jokingly call him the “Polish Falcon” making everyone laugh as he pretends to flap his wings. Cabinet closes with “Two Dollar Bill,” officially getting the song stuck in my head for the rest of the day (in the best way possible).
Taco and I make our way backstage to give the guys of Cabinet a hug, and Taco sticks around for conversation as I go to check out Twiddle. I hadn’t seen them play before and they were blowing my mind! Their fast paced jams and precise instruments remind me of Umphrey’s Mcgee, and the fact that they are jamming multiple Michael Jackson songs in a seamless style only affirms my comparison. Twiddle likes to crawl into your earholes and stir up your brain a little bit before leaking out your ears and melting warm and wet all over your whole body. The Folkadelics follow with a lighthearted set, covered in pink and green paint and playing their upbeat vocal-oriented songs. Rob Barraco from Dark Star even joins them for a moment on stage.
We spotted our friends Pigeons Playing Ping Pong setting up at the other stage and they predictably brought some of the “flock” along with them. The boys have a group of dedicated fans that would travel to the end of the Earth to groove to their music, affectionately referred to as “the flock.” I dance along with them in funky bliss as Jeremy shreds the guitar in their opening jam. The happiness continues as they play some of their staple songs such as “F.U.” and “Julia.” Ben’s thumping bass guitar is a heartbeat in your chest and all the girls giggle and dance. Pigeons is always such a playful band that evokes joy in everyone who hears their music.
We take a walk and a rest under some shade with our friends from the Cooter Crew. It feels like the warmest day of the weekend, and it being the last, I’m determined to soak it all in and relax a bit. We run into Adrianne and Flo (Ashley), girlfriend of Werk’s tour manager Donald, and The Werk’s guitarist, Chris Houser, respectively, who had just arrived that Sunday afternoon. We don’t get to see the girls very much, as they don’t travel with the band outside of Ohio often, so we are excited to hang out with them. We traipse around the campgrounds like jolly little kids catching up on life as Melvin Seals and JGB grooves in the background. We are still walking, making jokes about my sunburn and Adrianne’s shirt stains when The Wailers come on and belt some of their signature hits like “Stir it Up” and “Three Little Birds.”
Pimps of Joytime get the blood pumping as they break right into their dance funk next. The two women percussionists are as much eye candy as the lead guitarist, and we joke that the best way to view the band is from backstage, where you can watch the ladies shake their booties as they play. “Never let me go, never stop the music,” Brian sings, the incredibly catchy tune burning into my mind. They play a little bit of their “Jangsta Funk,” and there isn’t a stationary booty in the house.
By this time, The Werks have arrived and we all rush over to shower them with love (also known as annoying the crap out them!). They have stories to tell of how muddy Summer Camp was and everyone is in a slightly dazed, silly mood. Dino, the bass player, is wearing a bike helmet, which later ends up on Dewey, the lighting guy’s head as the night progresses. “Safety Third,” is the catch phrase for the evening. We leave them alone to set up their equipment and grab a bite to eat before their late night set after Dark Star Orchestra.
Dark Star plays another original set this evening starting off with “Saint Stephen” and treating us to sing alongs such as “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad” as well as plenty of drums and space, including some drums played by Pete Lavezzoli. They finish the evening with “The Greatest Story Ever Told,” which Taco often likes to quote. “One in 10,000 come for the show,” he always says, reminding me that through all of the hijinks and hullaballoo, we are all here for the music first and foremost. With an almost obligatory “We Bid You Goodnight” they leave the stage and we are blasted directly into The Werks’ set.
The Werks have been playing more of their new music and recently spent time in the studio recording tracks for a new album. I am loving the uplifting, jammy sounds of the new songs as well as the positive lyrics, such as those in “You’re Not Alone.” They gave us a great little song sandwich with “Rollin” and we watched fireworks explode as Houser shreds the guitar so hard he breaks a string. Rob treats us to one of his signature drum solos and they play a song for the first time ever “Riders on the Storm” that has everyone reeling and praising for the rest of the night. After The Doors cover “Roadhouse Blues,” they end with the final piece of bread on the sandwich, back into “Rollin.”
We put Alex to bed and make sure he’s warm and cozy before rushing off to spend a little bit of time with the band before everyone has to leave. The sun creeps slowly over the horizon and I’m yelling “Shut up birds!” at the chirping birds that are signaling the coming dawn. After lots of hugs and an emotional tear, we bid the fantastic weekend goodnight, and thank the festie gods for shining down on us once again. Until next time, Legend Valley, OH, be good and be grateful.
A big thank you to All Good Productions and Legend Valley!
[gdl_gallery title=”dark star” width=”400″ height=”300″ ]
